Welcome, one and all, to The Marvel Universe! This RPG is based off of classic Marvel continuity - "616", if you want to get technical - set within 10 years after the arrival of many of the world's superheroes. That means that in the game, it is the modern world, and the characters on teams as The Avengers, The Fantastic Four, X-Men, and The New Avengers are longtime veterans of their craft. While most events have probably happened, players are free to acknowledge whatever they wish and ignore the rest, on the condition that nothing be retconned.

Like the "Heroes Vs. Villains" RPG of yesteryear, the game allows players to assume the roles of any Marvel character they desire to play. You are allowed a minimum of two characters, provided you've allowed yourself time to be proven capable of playing two. Once accepted for your individual roles, you may post in the In-Continuity thread as your character and interact with others.

You may choose to be any superhero, supervillain, or supporting character in the Marvel Universe. Though it is strongly recommended that you choose only one character initially, the maximum is two. You will be allowed to be given the second slot under GM discretion.

To be approved as a character, fill out the application below in a seperate post and submit it here, in the OOC thread. Submissions in the IC thread will be removed. If there are multiple applications for the same character, the GMs will decide which app to approve.

You must post at least once, every two weeks, to be eligible to keep your character. No activity without prior explaination from you means being subjected to removal from the roster and seeing your character be made available once again.

Do not have your character act out-of-character without prior explaination, such as an external mind control or imposters at work. It is your responsibility to act like your character, so assume their personality and traits.

Do the proper research to figure out your character's power levels, and never overpower someone. Spider-Man can't lift a building, Daredevil can't hear an isolated area from New York, and Iron Man isn't able to move planets.

Though the assumption is that everything has happened, it is advised to consult GMs whenever directly involving the events of certain storylines into the RPG.

Be mindful of players that will come after you in the role, who may not want to have certain events plague characters going into the future of the game, such as the death of Captain America or the unmasking of Spider-Man in Civil War.

Whenever possible, allow yourself the freedom not to rely solely on prior continuity. Tell stories new and true to your character whenever possible.

You may interact with any player character in the game, and you're allowed to use NPCs (characters without a current player).

It is advised, however, not to use an abundance of NPCs that consist of characters in the Marvel Universe.

If someone is using a character in their arc, you should not interfere with them until they are done. Multiple storylines at once with the same character is generally not allowed.

You can form teams, gangs, and other factions. Involve other players, openly invite people to join along - interact! Nobody wants to play with someone who keeps to themselves. Allow yourself to branch out.

You may travel anywhere within the universe, including anywhere on Earth and other planets. But do so within your characters means. Explain how The Thing is able to get into space, and never automatically have him appear there. Track your characters, so that others can follow along with your story.

Do not, under any circumstances, do a time travel arc or multiversal arc unless it is specific of your character, such as someone like Kang the Conqueror or Reed Richards.

Killing PC characters or potential PC characters is strictly prohibited unless approved by a GM. Never randomly kill off a major character unless the player in the role is willing to go along with it.

All regular Hype rules apply. Do not bypass the censors in the use of profanity, post pornographic or sexually suggestive material, or other such blatantly prohibited content. Failure to accomodate these rules will result in an immediate probation, depending on the severity.

Above all, have fun. This is a game, and not to be treated as otherwise. Never instigate arguments with other players and never engage in heated discussions. We're all adults, here, so act like it and calmly talk through issues in a civil manner.

ROSTER

HEROES

Captain America
Byrd Man

Iron Man
Saved

Thor
Carnage27

Hawkeye
Hound55

Wolverine
Carnage27

Black Knight
TheCorpulent1

Daredevil
Batman

The Hulk
Spider-Man9X17

Iron Fist
Eddie Brock

John the Skrull
Harlekin

Luke Cage
Byrd Man

Moon Knight
bkhedr

Mr. Fantastic
Saved

Spider-Man
Eddie Brock

WALKING THE LINE

VILLAINS

Doctor Doom
Rain Dog

Taskmaster
Spike_x1

Titanium Man
Spike_x1

The Wrecker
bkhedr

Venom
Andy C.

- - -

To apply, fill out the application! All fields are required to be eligible.

The "Nuff' Said" Marvel Universe Application

Character you would like to play (please include the color and font you plan on using to portray the character):

Brief History (provide at least two sentences):

Group your character is aligned with (if applicable):

Explain what you plan to do with the character you've chosen and why you've chosen this character:

Do you have an Instant Messenger? Which one, and what is your screen name?:

If you know how to post pictures, please provide a picture of your character:

Please provide a small sample post with original content in the style that you plan to write your character in (must be at least 3 paragraphs long and contain at least one line of dialogue):

Character you would like to play (please include the color and font you plan on using to portray the character):Steve Rogers/Captain America

Brief History (provide at least two sentences):

In the 40's, in the midst of the Second World War, Steve Rogers was Captain America and served with the Howling Commandos, and his sidekick Bucky. In the closing days of the war, Cap and Bucky were believed dead after stopping a bomb from destroying London.

Flash forward a few decades... A block of ice was found that had perfectly preserved Rogers in a cryogenic stasis. He reentered the world and became Captain America... Flash forward a few more years, and now Captain America is still active as a hero with the Avengers, as well as helping SHIELD and the Secret Avengers protect the world.

Group your character is aligned with (if applicable): The Avengers, SHIELD, Secret Avengers.

Explain what you plan to do with the character you've chosen and why you've chosen this character: I just want to play Cap, do some superhero and spy **** with the Avengers, the SA, and SHIELD. I love Captain America! He's one of my favorite characters period.

If you know how to post pictures, please provide a picture of your character you wish to be used for the Character Roster (if you do not know how, or do not have a preference, please say so and a default picture shall be picked for you):

Please provide a small sample post with original content in the style that you plan to write your character in (must be at least 3 paragraphs long and contain at least one line of dialogue):

Sofia
Bulgaria
1:25 AM

Smog curled out the smokestacks in Sofia's industrial area. Rows of factories, processing plants, and warehouses were lined on both sides of the Iskar River. Steve Rogers was hunkered down on a rooftop beside the river. His colorful Captain America costume had been shelved, tonight he was wearing the dark jumpsuit with gadgets embedded in it. Tonight, he wasn't in Bulgaria on Captain America or Avengers business. Tonight, it was all about the Secret Avengers. He watched a factory on the other side of the river with a pair of night vision goggles.

"Uncle Sam to SA. Sound off, people..."

"Hawkeye, in position,"Clint Barton said from a hidden perch a block away."Standing by."

"Beast here,"Hank McCoy said from a nearby cathedral. He was hanging upside down, his feet grappling onto a gargoyle. "I am in position and await only your word, o' star spangled leader of men."

"Venom," Flash Thompson said from an alley way beside the factory. He was in the shadows, the symbiote providing camouflage. "In position and standing by.""I await your command," Brunnhilda, the Asgardian warrior known as Valkyrie, said from another rooftop. She had a hand on the large sword sheathed in a hip scabbard.
"Agent 13," Sharon Carter said from a Quinjet in the sky above Sofia. The aircraft was hovering a few hundred feet above the city, invisible to the naked eye. "In position, standing by."

"Roger that. As soon as Ant-Man gives the signal, we go."

Steve checked his watch and then switched comm channels, switching from the team frequency to another one, a private frequency."Uncle Sam to Agent 13, you sure this intel is solid, Sharon?"
"Solid as can be," Sharon's voice said on the other end of the line. "AIM is working on something big in that warehouse. SHIELD's asset inside the organization confirmed it. The source hasn't failed us before."

"Well, there's a first time for everything. Uncle Sam out."

Rogers switched back to the team channel and continued to wait. After five minutes had passed, he sighed. "Alright, I'm giving him two minutes and we go in."

"Ant-Man to Uncle Sam,"the comm crackled to life."Ant-Man to Uncle Sam, I found it!"

Steve looked through his binoculars at the warehouse, his brow furrowed."Found what?... Say again, found what?"

"Holy crap!" Ant-Man screamed through the line. "It's coming out!"

BOOOOM!

The roof of the warehouse smashed outwards, a large and metallic hand reached out of the hole in the roof and pulled its body up on top of the warehouse. A half finished Sentinel robot staggered across the roof, wires spilling from its mid-section, arms, and neck.

"Uncle Sam to SA,"Rogers said on the line. "That's our cue. Sharon, lay down some covering fire with the Quinjet. Keep it distracted while we move into position."
"On the way."

"Venom, take the building from the ground. Find and assist Ant-Man. Meet us on the roof of the warehouse."

"Moving now.""Beast, you're our Sentinel expert, tell us what we need to know to stop it."

"If one of you happen to have an Adamantium skeleton or shoot concussion beams from your eyes, now would be the time to use it.""Don't think that's going to work. See if you can figure out another way."

Character you would like to play (please include the color and font you plan on using to portray the character):Moon Knight (Marc Spector)

Brief History (provide at least two sentences):Marc Spector is a former US marine who took a job as a mercenary when his tour was up and eventually took a job working for the mysterious Raoul Bushman as security for Bushman's employer who was conducting an illegal archeological dig at a forgotten site in Egypt. The dig is discovered by Egyptian locals who warn the foreigners that they are digging in sacred ground and that they risk angering the gods. The group ignores the warning prompting the locals to threaten to inform the authorities. Bushman responds to these threats by ordering the mercenaries to kill the unarmed locals. Only Spector abstains, and when he moves to stop the slaughter he is himself mortally wounded by Bushman.

Unfortunately for the grave robbers the fracas alerts the local authorities who make their way onto the scene to find nothing but the bodies of the dead locals. The remaining locals, who are uneducated and superstitious having carried the dying Spector through a hidden passage into a long lost shrine buried deep beneath the sands. There they offer Spector up to the Egyptian God of Vengeance, Khonsu. In doing so, they save Spector's life, thus rewarding him for his efforts on their behalf, but also turn him into an unwilling instrument of Khonsu's will.

Marc Spector died at the feet of the statue of Khonsu that night. In his place rose Moon Knight, fist of Khonsu.

Group your character is aligned with (if applicable): None

Explain what you plan to do with the character you've chosen and why you've chosen this character: I intend to stabilize the character and give him his due. There will be no split personality. Just a tormented soul who is happy not to be dead but forced to seek vengeance in the name of Khonsu. This will entail not only fighting crime but also a fair bit of monster hunting and killing witches and the like. Mystical stuff which fits so naturally with the character's mythos but has never been properly utilized as far as I know (Heck he uses silver weapons and started out as a foe for werewolf by night). The other thing is that I've never played him.

Do you have an Instant Messenger? Which one, and what is your screen name?: IM - bkhedr@hotmail.com

If you know how to post pictures, please provide a picture of your character:

Please provide a small sample post with original content in the style that you plan to write your character in (must be at least 3 paragraphs long and contain at least one line of dialogue):

Then

Siwa is a place rich in history. Alexander the Great once came here to consult the Oracle of the Old Gods. It was here that he was proclaimed Horus on Earth. Here that he was declared Pharaoh. But that was long ago, and the story of Alexander's visit is just one in a long list of tall tales passed down from generation to generation among the people here.

The Siwa of today a forgotten place by any standard, but particularly so when one considers those glorious days now centuries past. Despite having a population of 23,000, Siwa still has no electricity, no running water and only one paved road.

Siwa is surrounded on all sides by hundreds of miles of unforgiving desert. This feature once contributed so much to its vibrancy, for if not for the life giving waters of the Siwa Oasis, traveling across Egypt's Eastern deserts in ancient times would have been impossible. Water in the middle of the desert. That was what made Siwa important. That was why so many ancient weather worn paths came through this place. But that was before airplanes and railroads revolutionized travel and made the Oasis obsolete. These days Siwa is isolated, all but forgotten by the outside world and ignored by the Egyptian authorities in Cairo.

But there are still those for which Siwa remains a vital and necessary stop. Those who cannot afford to travel by road or rail or air, not because of monetary difficulties but because they cannot allow themselves to be seen or recognized. Smugglers, poachers and thieves who use the old desert paths to avoid detection by the authorities. For such men, Siwa is as important as ever. The Oasis still offers water and respite from the elements. It is also a place where they can lay down their heads, gather their strength and wait out any agents of law and order that seek them them out. The men who come here may be dangerous but they come looking for a place to lay low, not a place to make trouble.

All of this combines to make a settlement that is lazy by day and quiet by night.

But Siwa is not quiet this night. On this night there is no laying of heads. No gathering of strength. No respite and certainly no mercy. The night's peace has been shattered by blood curdling screams and desperate halting bursts of gunfire. Tonight those who have come to Siwa for save heaven find that it is anything but and those locals who call this place home, who have some sense of what is happening in their ancient settlement, wisely shut their doors to the outsiders in their midst and huddle in their mud brick homes.

And in the narrow streets the slaughter continues and one voice rings out again and again, angrily asking the same question to every soul unfortunate enough to be selected for interrogation.

"Where is Bushman?!"

The question will echo long through the night, it will be repeated again and again over the hours until it is seared into the minds of the locals and added to their stories of this night. But it will not be answered. Before the morning is through the avatar of the old God will leave this place will depart unsatisfied. Leaving Siwa to return to its quiet forgotten existence, albeit with one more harrowing tale to add its thousands of years of history.

***

Now

Moon Knight makes no sound as he drops from the building in a flush of silver fabric and lands in a dark and dirty alley way. The glowing eyes of his costume narrow as he looks upon the mess of flesh and bones before him. It is has been shoved into a corner in the back of the alley and is all but invisible in the darkness, but Moon Knight can see every gruesome detail.

Another vagrant dead. Torn apart by....some thing. This was the fourth case in as many weeks that he knew about and the police were no closer to solving the case then they were a month ago. Marc suspected that this had something to do with where the crimes were being committed and who the victims were. The men and women of the NYPD were, for the most part, dedicated and hardworking civil servants, but like all civil servants their priorities were set by the city at large and a few dead homeless people, no matter how mutilated their remains may be, were never going to be considered a matter of the utmost concern. It was an injustice that Marc had to force from his mind.

One problem at a timeHe reminded himself as he leaned in closer to the body and began examining it.

It was a fresh kill, hadn't begun to smell yet, so he knew he killer couldn't be too far away. Like all the others it showed signs of extreme violence, the likes of which could have been caused by a rabid animal. But the animal would have to be extremely large, too big for a dog, perhaps a small bear. Whatever it was, it ripped into this man with the same viciousness as the others. But there was something else.

Marc leaned in closer and noticed for the first time the odd scrapes on the bones and the fact that there were organs missing, not just ripped out, but nowhere to be found. It was as if something had been eating this man. This was a disturbing thought and Marc thought back to the other victims. Of the previous three, he had only been able to examine two, having found them before the police did. Both showed the same signs of attack and it was clear that whatever killed those men also killed this man but this was the first one who had been fed on.

Marc went over what he knew.

Something was hunting New York's homeless. It was attacking them. It was killing them. And now it was eating them too.

What he knew was frustratingly close to nothing.

A woman's scream fills the air and Moon Knight turns his head in the direction of the sound.

The homeless killer would have to wait. Somewhere, out there in the night, was someone alive and in need.

Character you would like to play (please include the color and font you plan on using to portray the character):Peter Benjamin Parker / The Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

Brief History (provide at least two sentences): Peter Parker was born the only child of Richard and Mary Parker. The Parkers, who worked as CIA agents, frequently had to leave Peter in the care of Richard's older brother, Ben Parker, and his wife, May Parker. One fateful day, they were both killed in a plane crash, and Peter's aunt and uncle became his official caretakers. Peter was only six years old.

As he grew older, Peter showed signs of academic genius. Unfortunately, this - combined with Peter's social ineptitude - made him an easy target for cruelty from his peers growing up. At Midtown High School, where Peter was the star pupil, he never truly had friends. His aunt and uncle were the closest people in his life. Everything changed the day that Peter attended a public science exhibit. During one of the demonstrations, a spider was irradiated by a particle beam. The radioactive spider bit Peter on the hand, transforming his genetic code.

Peter gained all the amazing abilities of a spider - proportional strength which allowed him to lift many tons, superhuman reflexes, incredible agility making him many times faster than the average person, the uncanny ability to adhere to any surface, and a sixth "spider-sense" which alerted Peter to impending danger. Peter first tested his skills in a wrestling match against Crusher Hogan, defeating him easily and making some quick cash. Using his incredible intellect, Peter developed a synthetic web-like substance and wrist-mounted shooters to release it. He dubbed himself Spider-Man and quickly became a television sensation, using his newfound abilities to earn money for himself as well as his aunt and uncle.

When a man robbed the television station after Spider-Man had just finished filming, Peter had a chance to stop the man from escaping. However, cocky and unconcerned, Peter watched as the robber escaped. A few days later, Peter returned home to a grisly sight. His beloved Uncle Ben had been shot and killed. Spider-Man confronted the killer in an abandoned warehouse, discovering to his horror that the man was the same robber who Peter allowed to escape. Struck with grief and guilt, Peter at last began to understand Uncle Ben's famous words: "With great power comes great responsibility!"

Determined to redeem himself, Peter began to use his powers for good, and Spider-Man became New York City's friendly neighborhood superhero. Peter began selling pictures of Spider-Man to the Daily Bugle, whose editor, J. Jonah Jameson, held a relentless vendetta against the wall-crawler. Upon graduating from Midtown High, Peter enrolled at Empire State University on a science scholarship. There, he met Harry Osborn, who became Peter's best friend after rocky beginnings, and the lovely Gwen Stacy, his first true love (not counting Betty Brant). Spider-Man battled many dangerous enemies, including the megalomaniac Doctor Octopus and the mysterious Green Goblin. His responsibilities came at a cost: leading to the deaths of Captain George Stacy, one of Spider-Man's staunchest supporters, and his beloved Gwen. His own best friend, Harry Osborn, even turned against him for a time and took up his father's mantle, but none of this swayed Ol' Webhead. He fights for those who can't because it's his responsibility. There's no turning your back on it.

Group your character is aligned with (if applicable): None.

Explain what you plan to do with the character you've chosen and why you've chosen this character: Unlike the powers-that-be at Marvel, I won't mess with a working formula. The late 80's/early 90's Spider-Man is, in my opinion, the purest incarnation of the character. He has a strong supporting cast, good recurring villains, an on-again/off-again relationship with the flighty Mary Jane Watson, and he's still struggling to find his footing in the world. This is the Spider-Man I want to emulate.

Why Spider-Man? Well, that's not hard to answer, is it? Spider-Man is who we all like to think we are. He's an outcast, he's down on his luck, he never seems to catch a break. He's a superhero, but he deals with normal people problems: love, grief, guilt, financial instability. Moreover, Peter recognizes that he's not perfect. When we meet Peter Parker in Amazing Fantasy #15, he's vengeful and cocky. Spider-Man first sets out to prove the world wrong about Peter Parker. But as he grows, he learns that he has nothing to prove to anyone besides himself. Spider-Man never stops trying, no matter what life throws at him. That kind of blind optimism is inspiring. We all want to be Spider-Man because we all want to believe that we're just as good at heart as Peter Parker is.

If you know how to post pictures, please provide a picture of your character you wish to be used for the Character Roster (if you do not know how, or do not have a preference, please say so and a default picture shall be picked for you):

Please provide a small sample post with original content in the style that you plan to write your character in (must be at least 3 paragraphs long and contain at least one line of dialogue):"Hello, this is Edwin Jarvis, and you've reached the Avengers Mansion. How might I direct your call?"

"Hey, hi, um... I need to speak to the Avengers," I say sheepishly into the payphone. "Preferably Iron Man or Thor or something, but really any Avenger will do. I'd even take Ant-Man."

I hear a sigh on the other end of the line. "Sir, this is not a personal line. If you'd like to speak to the Avengers--"

"It's an emergency!" I bark. When I'm met with silence, I add, "Please?"

"One moment, sir." Seconds later, the British man on the other end of the phone asks, "Who might I say is calling?"

"Umm... Spider-Man."

Silence. "Goodbye."

"No, wait! I'm serious! This is Spider-Man, and there's a--" Click. Dialtone. Reaching into the concealed pocket on my costume, I take out two more quarters and flip the pages of the phone book furiously. Punching the numbers with extreme urgency, I begin tapping my foot as it begins to ring.

"Hello, this is Reed Richards--"

"Reed! Oh, thank God! Listen--"

"--and you've reached the Fantastic Four's automated phone line. If you're calling to request an interview or a talk show appearance, press 'one' now. If you're calling about an endorsement--"

I slam down the phone, and not a moment too soon. As my Spider-Sense begins to buzz, I hightail it out of there with a double back handspring. Less than a second later, a giant robotic foot stomps down on the spot where the payphone once stood. I hear the glass shatter with a crunch.Okay, Spidey. So a giant robot is rampaging through Manhattan, and you can't count on the Avengers or the Fantastic Four to help. I gulp, staring up at the massive autonomatron. It towers above the street at more than ten stories tall. Its limbs are thicker than school buses. "Sure. I'll shoot a web at it. That oughta do something, right?"

Times like these? I hate being Spider-Man. You just know that Daredevil never has to deal with this kind of stuff. Oh well. It should make a good story to tell my grandkids - assuming I live long enough to have grandkids. Because if this giant robot doesn't kill me, Mary Jane certainly will because I'm going to be late to dinner... again. I suppose I could tell her that a giant robot held me up. Yeah... that would go over well.

"Down here, Iron Giant!" I yell. The robot turns its massive glowing eyes at me. Wait a minute... I don't remember its eyes glowing. Come to think of it, they seem to be getting brighter. And redder. And... Holy crap, it has laser eyes! I leap out of the way just in time, snagging the robot's shoulder with a webline and swinging around behind it.

As I clutch to its giant, metallic back, I can't help but think of that scene in Empire Strikes Back where the Millennium Falcon hides by docking on the side of a Star Destroyer. Good movie. If I survive today, I'll have to watch it again soon. Hey! That reminds me...

Anchoring a webline against the robot's hip, I begin swinging in large arcs around its legs. After my fourth or fifth pass, the robot begins to struggle. The web begins to constrict, pulling its legs closer and closer together until... "Bingo!" The robot's knees buckle, and it begins to topple like a tree in a forest. I release my webline and land a few yards behind the fallen behemoth. "I... can't believe that actually worked." I smirk. And Aunt May said those movies were too violent and that I shouldn't be watching them.

I web the robot to the street until my web cartridges are emptied. That should hold him until someone way more qualified than me can come around and pick up this hunk of scrap metal. I switch out my empty cartridges for fresh ones and begin on my merry way towards the Upper West Side. If I make good time, I might still make it on time for dinner with Mary Jane. I just pray that the trademark Parker luck doesn't rear its ugly head because everything's going right for a change.

Per the guidelines of "character-offs", applications won't be accepted for 24 hours and anyone can apply for anyone. When the IC thread goes up later this week, the 24 hour rule will be rendered null and void.

Question: can we make contingent entries in "character-offs?" That is, could I post a challenge to Byrd's Cap and say, "If I get approved as Spidey, I withdraw my Cap application"? (Totally hypothetical example, Byrd. Don't kill me.)

Character you would like to play (please include the color and font you plan on using to portray the character):

Doctor Doom

Brief History (provide at least two sentences):

The son of a Latverian gypsy witch, Victor Von Doom was raised into a life of hardship and oppression, one which he combated with his brilliant mind and aptitude for both technology and the occult. As a young man, he was invited to study at Empire State University along with Reed Richards, which heightened his knowledge and ambition, until eventually Victor attempted to create a machine that would allow him to communicate with the dead. When Richards attempted to intervene due to a fatal flaw in the machine's design, the experiment backfired, scarring Victor's face. Blaming Richards for the disaster, von Doom fled the United States, wandering the globe before being taken in by an order of Tibetan monks. Mastering the monks' disciplines (as well as the monks themselves), Doom forged a suit of armor, and used it to seize control of Latveria.

Now, Doctor Doom is the unchallenged king of Latveria, and uses his power ostensibly to benefit his homeland and his people, but more often than not to further his own selfish goals. There are precious few things that Victor Von Doom would not do to gain his petty revenge over Reed Richards, or to feed his insatiable hunger for power.

Group your character is aligned with (if applicable):

The Sovereign Nation of Latveria

Explain what you plan to do with the character you've chosen and why you've chosen this character:

Y'all know me--I love playing the scheming mastermind. And Doom is hands-down the best evil mastermind the Marvel Universe has got. Besides, the game needs a major villain.

Do you have an Instant Messenger? Which one, and what is your screen name?:

If you know how to post pictures, please provide a picture of your character:

Please provide a small sample post with original content in the style that you plan to write your character in (must be at least 3 paragraphs long and contain at least one line of dialogue):

Outside, the sun was coming up, the dark pall of the night sky giving away to pastel oranges and purples. Half-melted snow glistened on the tops of trees, the crystalline flakes sparkling in the dawn. Sunrise in Latveria was one of the country's rare beauties.

Here, however, the sun never shone. It was never night or day, only the dark squalor of Castle Doom's labyrinthine dungeons. Here, rebellious minds and subversive spirits were sent to be broken. Few, if any, knew how many hundreds the dungeons held at any given time.

Doom strode through the winding halls of misery with the same regal air that he carried everywhere, his every step an assertion of authority, his every gesture a flourish of contempt. He ignored the voices that came from within the rows of prison cells, voices that moaned or begged or sobbed. One voice, however, he did give his attention: a voice that screamed.

He opened the large wrought-iron door, stepping into one of the many torture chambers, to find two jailers performing what appeared to be invasive surgery without anesthesia on a man in dirty peasant rags.

"Hold a moment," he ordered them. "I would like a word with our guest."

The two calmly put down their scalpels and prods, leaving the bleeding man strapped to the operating table.

"This does not have to be this way, you know," Doom said in a conversational tone. "You merely have to tell me what I wish to know."

"I....I do not know.....what you mean....my Lord," the man rasped in an overly thick Latverian accent. The sound of it made Doom's lip curl into a sneer underneath the scowling death's-head visage of his mask.

"Don't insult me," he spat. "That accent makes you sound like a children's cartoon. Now, tell me what I want to know."

He casually moved his hand towards one of the deep surgical incisions on the man's arm, and lightly touched his finger against a raw exposed nerve ending.

"Tell me what an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. is doing in Doomstadt."

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!" the man screamed before Doom took his finger off of the nerve. "No.....no.....I won't talk."

"Of course you will," Doom said. "Your organization can barely go a year without devouring itself from within. How can you possibly hope to resist the will of Doom?"

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent spat at Doom, a glob of saliva soaking into the dictator's dark green hood.

"Ill die before I tell you anything, Doom," he said, his voice full of defiance.

The expression on the gleaming metal mask did not change, but underneath, Doom smiled.

"Oh, believe me, we have no intention of killing you," he said with a touch of condescension. "In fact, once we are done with you, you will be released back to your superiors, having never known you were here. And never knowing when you will execute the orders I have given you."

The look of fear in the agent's eyes was satisfying to Doom, as well as appropriate. He was not threatening the man at all, but stating a fact, and both of them knew it.

"Gentlemen?" he said, gesturing to the two torturers as he strode out of the chamber. "Continue."

Character you would like to play (please include the color and font you plan on using to portray the character): The Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite)

Brief History (provide at least two sentences): Dirk Garthwaite was a manual laborer in a demolitions crew who attempted to use his knowledge of and access to explosives to commit a series of heists and make some easy money. While performing one such heist Garthwaite enters a hotel room being rented out by the Asgardian Loki and by sheer chance is empowered by an enchantment meant for the God of Mischief. Empowered by the enchantment, the Wrecker graduated from mere robberies to full fledged super villainy. Despite the awesome power at his command and the support of his fellows, the Wrecking Crew, the results has thus far been underwhelming.

Group your character is aligned with (if applicable): The Wrecking Crew

Explain what you plan to do with the character you've chosen and why you've chosen this character: The RPG needs villains. The wrecking crew ought to be heavyweights so I figured I'd pick them up before they appear as jobbers in someone's first post.

Do you have an Instant Messenger? Which one, and what is your screen name?: IM - bkhedr@hotmail.com

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Little Rock, Arkansas

The Four stolen armored cars cruised along main street as fast as their heavy laden frames allowed. A number of police patrol cars form a loose square around the armored cars, sirens blaring. Behind them is an odd column of emergency vehicles made up of several other patrol cars, two swat vans, three ambulances and a firetruck.

It can hardly be called a high speed chase but it is a chase nonetheless. The officers in the squad cars, who have been at this for the better part of their morning, are frustrated and in some cases, angry. One exasperated officer, a young man who wears an expression of somber rage, leans out of the window of his vehicle and continuously fires away with side arm at the driver of the lead armored car. The driver of the car, an older man with a thick mustache and stripes on his shoulders, does nothing to reign the young officer in.

Inside the armored car the Wrecker smiles toothily. He's pretty sure he killed that cop's partner this morning. Serves him right if he did.

Several blocks away security guards at the Metropolitan National Bank help usher customers and staff to safety, behind them are a number of police officers manning a line made up of three squad cars.

The senior officer shouts hurried words of encouragement and the stolen armored cars come loping around the corner a few moments later with numerous police vehicles in pursuit in tow.

The men on the line nervously and tighten their grips on their weapons. Its been all over the radios. They know what's coming.

The armored cars lazily come to a halt, repeating a routine they have performing while robbing seven banks in the span of 4 hours.

Dozens of car doors open in unison and a precinct's worth of officers focus their attention on the armored cars as their doors, which have been pounded with bullets but remain intact, are also opened and four huge men in bold costumes step out onto the pavement.

The officers nearest them waste no time in opening fire.

The wrecking Crew mostly ignore the gunfire. Piledriver, being the exception. He taunts the officers and mocks at being hurt before bursting out in a full on fit of laughter with his hands on his knees and his sides shaking even as the bullets pinged off of him.

Thunderball follows Piledriver with his eyes then fires a look in the Wrecker's direction. The Wreckers acknowledges the look with a look of impatience. Thunderball thought Piledriver was having too much fun. For weeks he had been talking about how it was time to get serious. Frankly, The Wrecker didn't care. All he cared about was that the day was turning out to be a great one.
"Lookit these idiots." The Wrecker says over his shoulder to Bulldozer "This is all they've got to through at us."
"Heheh. Yeah. You were right Wrecker. We shoulda come here ages ago." Bulldozer replies before he lowers his head and sets off running at the barricade of police cars.

His feet leave deep imprints in the pavement with every step and The Wrecker laughs heartily as he watches him plough through the parked cars as if hey were nothing more than empty cardboard boxes. There were no capes in Arkansas. At least none that he knew of, and the national guard was at war somewhere. Hell even if the National Guard was here its not like they could do anything to stop them.
"Who's turn is it?" Thunderball asks as he casually tosses his wrecking ball through several in the haphazard array of parked vehicles behind the foursome. He tugs at the chain and the massive ball comes roaring back, upturning vehicles and churning up asphalt.
"My turn!" Piledriver declares excitedly. He's straightened up now and he cracks his knuckles them interlocks his fingers and turns his palms outwards till he hears them pop."Then get on with it. We've still got a few more banks to hit before we're through." The Wreckers directs as he takes several menacing steps towards a trio of officers with shotguns. The men bravely hold their ground long enough to let off of a few shouts before turning and racing for the relative safety of their vehicles.

Piledriver has already made his way to the door of the bank and he rips it off its hinges and leisurely makes his way inside. He would be back in a few minutes with as much money as he could carry and he would load it into his armored car. He would repeat the process until the bank's vault was empty while the rest of the Wrecking Crew guarded the four armored cars and the millions in hard currency they had already stolen.

The Wrecker grins and turns to Thunderball.

"Well?"
"I have to hand it to you Wrecker." Thunderball concedes. "So far so good."

This Wrecker's chest seems to visibly puff out when he hears this. He stands a bit taller, his head held a bit higher. Thunderball hadn't just been complaining about Piledriver. He'd been moaning about how they hadn't made any real money in a long time. Sure he was right, but it wasn't Dirk's fault there were so many damn heroes always sticking their noses into their business.

That's what had given him the idea to come to Arkansas. He had asked around and as far as anybody knew, Arkansas had no superheroes. Word is there used to be one, but he turned out to be a skrull. A Skrull! It blew the Wreckers mind that they had that kinda craziness here but had not a cape who could give them trouble.

Regardless, Thunderball's words of praise had filled a sense of narcissistic self satisfaction. It is a feeling he relishes, but one that is doomed to be short lived.
"So what happens after we hit all the banks?" Thunderball asks
"Whadya mean?" The Wrecker replies tentatively. His self satisfaction having suddenly been replaced with something that approaches doubt without quite getting there.

Thunderball's face is serious "I mean how are we going to get all of this money out of town without bringing all these cops, probably some helicopters and god knows how many news vans with us? When you said you had a great idea I assumed it was a whole great idea and not just half of one."
"I...uh..." The Wrecker stammers as he realizes that he doesn't actually have a plan for what happens next. Leaving a sour Thunderball to shake his head while an oblivious Bulldozer charges into a row of police cars and a gleeful Piledriver flings two large sacks of cash into the back of an armored car.

Character you would like to play (please include the color and font you plan on using to portray the character):Luke Cage

Brief History (provide at least two sentences): Framed for a crime he didn't commit, Carlton Lucas was sentenced to 30 years in prison. In an effort to knock time of his sentence, Lucas volunteered for an experimental biological procedure, designed to improve human immunity. The experimental shot instead hardened Lucas' skin to the point it was nigh impervious, and gave him super strength as well as super durability and healing. After an attempt on his life, Lucas used his super abilities to escape from prison. He returned home to Harlem, changing his name to Luke Cage. Once home, he decided to use his abilities to become Power Man, a hero for hire.

Now, Luke continues to patrol and protect Harlem, in addition to helping out with the Avengers, running H4H with Iron Fist, and trying to be a good husband and father.

Group your character is aligned with (if applicable): Heroes for Hire, The Avengers (Reserve), New Avengers (Formerly) Thunderbolts (Formerly)

Explain what you plan to do with the character you've chosen and why you've chosen this character: I love Luke Cage, I loved playing him in the last RPG, and I want to play him in this RPG. Plans wise, just tell some superhero crime tales with H4H and maybe do some Avengers stuff if and when we get a team going.

Do you have an Instant Messenger? Which one, and what is your screen name?: Yep, mattj600@hotmail.com

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Brooklyn
4:35 AM

"You sure this tip is legit?" Luke asked.

"What?" Danny asked, blinking out of his trance.

The two men were on the second floor of an office building, looking through the window at a rundown nightclub across the street. They'd been on the stakeout for almost ten hours now.

"This tip from your informant, man. Are you sure it's on the up and up?"

"Yeah. There's supposed to be a meeting between Black Spectre and some kind of high ends weapons dealer. Wilbur heard it on the street."

"Wilbur?" Cage asked with an arched eyebrow. "Wilbur as in Wilbur Day, Stilt-Man?"

"Yeah. Big shock, being the lamest supervillain ever isn't paying the bills. He's taken to snitching. He's a pretty good informant, keeps his ear to the ground and has a lot of criminal connections."

"But he's Stilt-Man!"

"The Molinari job from two weeks ago? I got the tip from Wilbur and that's what led us to the kidnappers."

"Stilt! Man!"

"This tip turns out to be bogus and I'll stop using him, okay? Is that good enough for you."

"Nah, it's not me I'm worried about. I'm worried about your self-respect, or lack of self-respect. Any man who has to turn to Stilt-Man don't care about how he does business."

"Says the guy who used to rock a tiara..."

"Again with the tiara? How many times do I need to tell you--"

"Stop," Danny said, pointing out the window. "Something's going on."

Down below, a pair of dark sedans pulled up to the old nightclub. A half dozen men dressed in Black Spectre gear climbed out and went inside the club.

"There's Black Spectre."

"Finally... Wonder when their contact will show up."

"We've been here," a voice said from behind. Before Luke and Danny could turn, a giant crowbar struck Luke in the back and through the window. He tumbled towards the ground and landed hard on the street, causing a small crater to form in the asphalt. A few seconds later Danny somersaulted from the building and landed on the street.

"Ambush," Danny said, helping Luke on to his feet.

"Astute observation, Sherlock Homie."

Their attacker jumped from the broken window and landed on the ground in front of them. He smiled and brandished his crowbar.

"Our boss had a feeling someone would show up. Either you, Spider-Man, or Daredevil. While you two were staking things out, we were staking you out."

The attacker let out a shrill whistle that echoed through the streets. His three cohorts appeared from hidden locations on the street and regrouped behind him.

"What's the play?" Danny asked. He squatted and begin to focus his chi.

"Same as always when it comes to these mooks."

"Wreck 'em."

__________________

"These are the times that try men's souls... Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."

-- Thomas Paine

"People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election."
-- Otto von Bismarck

But this is exactly what I'm talking about. When did the Wrecking Crew go from four guys who could take on Thor and/or a whole roster of Avengers (not New Avengers, real f'n Avengers) to four guys who job for Powerman and Ironfist?

I mean, I know they can kick ass, and most of their woes just come from lazy writing. But you've gotta admit, their theme (and their costumes) don't really give them the same aura of awe-inspiring evil of a Red Skull or a Magneto.

Character you would like to play (please include the color and font you plan on using to portray the character):
Reed Richards Trebuchet RoyalBlueBrief History (provide at least two sentences) If you copy/paste this information from another website, link back to it, or it is considered plagiarism, it will not be allowed:
All the “classic” Fantastic Four events have occurred. The team’s gotten their powers, opposed Doom, Galactus, Annihilus, and the Skrulls, and they’ve met the Inhumans, Black Panther and Wakanda, and Namor.

Group your character is aligned with (if applicable): Fantastic Four

Explain what you plan to do with the character you've chosen and why you've chosen this character:

I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s pretty simple (in my complex psychological way). The Fantastic Four is a team I’ve seen with a lot of potential that has never been realized (except for rare circumstances like the current series with Jon Hickman). The team’s villains are incredibly powerful, larger than life, dangerous foes who require every bit of the resources the FF have to take them down.
Reed Richards, most specifically, is a character who’s been downplayed. I feel as if he’s played as a character type for “that super intelligent guy” who’s either used for a comedy role with big words or Deux ex Machina to get the team or world out of a tight situation. I plan to write a Reed Richards that fully captures the depth and limits of Reed’s potential – not just with powers or his intelligence, but with what all the adventures he’s seen over the years have done to him in ten years.

Do you have an Instant Messenger? Which one, and what is your screen name?:
Yes, pm me.

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Baxter Building, Lab 2212

Reed Richards, cloaked in his lab coat, sits slouched in his chair. A wall of computer screens and modules stand before him, each flashing with calculations and data he's personally programmed over the last twenty four hours. As his weary eyes stare at he screens, his face begins to droop a bit - the skin beginning to hang from his face like putty.

"Doctor Richards," a modulated voice suddenly speaks. Reed's eyes widen and his body becomes taut once more. "Yes, Herby, did you finish the analysis?""Indeed, sir. The data has yielded a multitude of results with their own probabilities, but one event is justified by all the findings with the highest score of 40.4356%. Upon further analysis into the event's specific probability of occurance, the data yielded a score of 89.896%."

Reed lets out a long sigh. "I came to the same conclusion last night." He turns his head and looks at the chalkboard he's etched his math into. All the numbers and equations lead to one result: 89.8964473%. "I was hoping I'd made an error or overlooked something in my work, but ... apparently not."

"Unfortunately, Doctor, the data does not lie." "No it doesn't," he says with a solemn tone. "Herby, lock up this data and triple encrypt it. Make sure Susan or Franklin don't find it. I'll tell them when I'm ready." Reed stretches his arm across the room toward his chalkboard and begins erasing the writing. As he retracts his arm, he turns back toward the computer screens. "How long does Earth have?"

"12 days. Plus or minus a factor of 24 hours.""Twelve days until the Kree arrive," he says, going silent for a moment as he ponders within his own mind. He thinks back to the skrull team they uncovered the month before. He recalls their arrogant attitude; a tone only used by the incredibly haughty, or by those who know far more than they tell.

"Why are you here? Why are you on our planet?""It's not your planet. Not anymore."

"Not anymore," Reed finally speaks. The Skrull and the Kree have long been at war. All Skrull activity in the past has been a harbinger for cosmic disaster. Reed's calculations show this time to be no different.

Suddenly, an alarm goes off, breaking Reed's train of thought as his screens flash. "Doctor, Johnny Storm on the personal line.""Put him through."
A video box appears on the screen to reveal Johnny's face. "Reed, we've got an alert in Midtown. You think you'll be able to pull yourself away from your numbers and test tubes for an hour?""Yes, Johnny, I'll be right out.""Meet us by the F-car." Reed nods, and Herby terminates the message.

"I'll have everything encrypted by the time you return, Doctor." Reed rises from his seat and turns toward the door. "Thank you, Herby. And one more thing," he says as he removes his lab coat and rests if gently on the back of his chair. "Send out a beacon to the Surfer. I'll need to speak with him when I get back."